Tag Archives: health benefits

The Unknown Health Benefits of Indoor Plants

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Plants can certainly brighten up your living space, but did you know that they can help improve your health too? There are a multitude of different ways that indoor plants can benefit you, both physically and mentally.

Indoor plants can improve the air quality in your home by breaking down compounds from man-made fibres and absorbing nasty chemicals from the air, essentially acting like a natural air filter. They are also highly effective at balancing humidity levels in the home as plants are capable of harvesting moisture from the air and absorbing it.

Having balanced humidity levels is essential for good overall air quality but it also prevents the growth of mould and mildew which are particularly common in damp spaces like the bathroom.

Houseplants have also been proven to help alleviate stress, resulting in reducing blood pressure, fatigue and even headaches. This combined with their air purifying abilities means that houseplants can help with sleep, as they create a fresh and breathable space. Plus, they also look super stylish and can really brighten up your bedroom.

 

wilko’s guide to helpful houseplants, and how to look after them:

Cactus plants

Cacti help to remove carbon dioxide in the air by absorbing it and then supplying us with fresh oxygen to breathe. They are easy to care for as they require very little watering. Miniature cacti look great on a home office desk – perfect for those who like clean, contemporary living spaces.

Snake plants

Snake plants have a lot of character and resemble the skin of a reptile with long, dark green leaves with colourful yellow edges. They survive with little moisture – perfect for those who forget to give it a water! They’re usually quite large in size so would be perfect sat next to French doors or on a large table top.

Succulent plants

Succulents are the perfect companion for your home office and are very on-trend with lots of stylish options to choose from. As a rough guideline, water them every 7-14 days in the warmer months and every 3-4 weeks in winter. Make sure to let the soil dry thoroughly between watering and put them near the window for some time to get extra light.

Peace lily

If the name isn’t calming enough then the plant certainly will be. This plant purifies the air and doesn’t need a lot of light. It does however need adequate watering when the soil is dry so does require some attention but remember, too damp and it won’t flourish!

Fresh flowers

If leafy plants aren’t your thing, or you can’t get hold of any, a nice big bunch of fresh flowers in a stylish vase will do the trick. You can even look for pretty foliage and flowers from your own garden – wild flowers and lavender also produce a beautiful smell throughout the home, perfect for creating a calm, relaxed ambience.

Indoor herb garden

If you want to kill two birds with one stone, then an indoor herb garden is just the thing. Not only will the process of growing the herbs purify the air, but the end result should provide you with tasty herbs for dinner! Not to mention, growing your own herbs is a great hobby that can bring the family together. To create your own mini indoor herb garden, all you’ll need is some small plant pots, compost and seeds. Herbs thrive best when soil is moist, but not soggy. A great tip is to use separate pots for each type of herb – this means you can care for each plant individually and top up any that may need more water than others.

Peter Hardie, garden buyer at wilko, said: “Indoor plants and herb gardens are a great way to inject a touch of nature into the home, particularly as they have been proven to benefit our physical and mental health. Not only can we accessorise our homes with trendy plants and pots, we can also create a breathable and non-toxic environment in our homes, just by adding a few plants around the house.

“We recommend choosing pots and planters to suit your interior style, but bold colours and fun prints are really on-trend at the minute, and can be a great way to accentuate mantlepieces, balconies or windowsills.”

 

For more information on wilko’s garden and outdoor living range, please visit wilko.com.

 

 

Varidesk Soho Review: Is Standing Up The New Sitting Down?

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varideskreview

Standing up is the new sitting down. Well, almost. The trend for working while standing up is not going away. It has numerous health benefits and you can burn 52,000 calories per year if you use it daily. It also decreases neck and lower back pain, lower blood pressure and help prevent heart disease.

With this in mind we reviewed the Varidesk Soho. Varidesk specialise in sit/stand desks.The Soho is their smallest standing desk model, with just enough space for the mobile minimalist who needs a stand up desk that’s just the right size for their laptop or tablet and easy to move and manage. It’s a single, flat deck that’s 76.2cm (30″) wide, and pops up or folds down in just seconds, making it a true sit-stand desk.

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So what did we think? It came well packaged which is always a plus. When we took it out we noticed how good it looked. It is well made and it looks high end. The instructions are on a removable plastic film on the desk. It is heavy but not too heavy. It is easy to work, moving up and down effortlessly and without any juddering when you get the hang of it.

The Varidesk is easy to use, and is flat enough to be stored away easily. It looks good and is adjustable so it will suit every height. It is also small enough to work in a cubicle if you don’t have your own office. You can fit a laptop and a mug of tea on it. We are sold. We think it is a great piece of engineering and a fantastic product. It costs £150 and is available from Varidesk. We are not sure if we will be standing up all day, but we will definitely be incorporating it into our working day.

varidesk varideskreviewblacksoho

  • Free delivery
  • 76.2cm (30″) wide for laptops or tablets
  • Single deck
  • Holds up to 4.54kg (10 lbs)
  • Sits on top of existing desks and cubicles
  • Sturdy and stable even when fully extended

http://uk.varidesk.com/laptop-standing-desk-VARIDESK-for-laptop

 

 

Research reveals that drinking tea reduces non-cardiovascular mortality by 24%

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More evidence on tea and reduced risk of mortality

tea

Drinking tea reduces non-cardiovascular mortality by 24%, reveals a study in 13,000 people presented at European Society of Cardiology Congress by Professor Nicolas Danchin from France.

 

Commenting on the study, Dr Carrie Ruxton from The Tea Advisory Panel (TAP) notes: “This study investigated the risk of cardiovascular and non-cardiovascular mortality in relation to tea and coffee consumption in a large population of French people at low risk of cardiovascular disease. The study included 131,401 people aged 18 to 95 years who had a health check up at the Paris IPC Preventive Medicine Centre between January 2001 and December 2008. During a mean 3.5 years follow up there were 95 deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD) and 632 deaths from non-CVD causes. Tea consumption was assessed by a self-administered questionnaire as one of three classes: none, 1 to 4, or more than 4 cups per day.

 

“Compared to no tea drinking, tea drinking lowered the risk of non-CVD death by 24% and the trend towards lowering CV mortality was nearly significant. When the analysis was extended to 2011 tea continued to reduce overall mortality during the 6 year period. Most of the effect of tea on non-CV mortality was found in current or ex-smokers, while tea had a neutral effect in non-smokers.

 

“In this study, tea had a more marked effect on blood pressure than coffee, with a 4-5 mmHg decrease in systolic blood pressure and 3 mmHg decrease in diastolic blood pressure in the heavy tea drinkers, compared to non-drinkers, when adjusted for age. This effect of tea on lowering blood pressure has been found in several earlier studies. A meta-analysis of 25 randomised controlled trials published in the British Journal of Nutrition [1] involving 1476 people found that long term tea intake reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure while acute tea intake had no effect. The blood pressure lowering effect was apparent in people who consumed tea for more than 12 weeks.

 

“Tea drinkers also had a better cardiovascular risk profile in this new study than people who did not drink tea. For example, tea drinkers had a healthier lifestyle. One-third (34%) of the people who did not drink tea were current smokers compared to 24% of those who drank 1-4 cups per day and 29% of those who drank more than 4 cups. Physical activity increased with the number of cups of tea per day from 43% in the moderate tea drinkers to 46% in the heavy drinkers.”

 

Dr Catherine Hood from TAP adds; “Overall this study adds to the growing evidence base that tea consumption reduces cardiovascular risk. This is likely related to the flavonoid content of tea. In addition to effects on blood pressure, a study published earlier this year found that drinking more than three cups of tea daily is associated with reduced arterial stiffness.[2] Other previous studies have shown that black tea improves blood flow through the arteries[3] and can reduce the risk of stroke.[4] Two recent meta-analyses have found that tea consumption improves cholesterol profile mainly by reducing LDL (bad cholesterol). [5] [6]

 

“Tea is a very popular beverage in the UK and these findings across several studies continue to suggest that Britain’s’ favourite beverage is good for cardiovascular health.”

 

 

The Cost Of Love

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We love this infograph about love from prezzybox.com Check it out.

thecostoflove

Time To Give Up Sugar? Mentor Me Off Sugar Day 8 & 9

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get off sugar, no sugar diet, should i give up sugar, is sugar bad for you, the white stuff, is sugar evil,Yesterday was my birthday and before I agreed to do this programme I promised that my birthday would be a day off. Otherwise I was not sure I could agree. While I did ‘break’ the diet to a degree something else happened: healthy sugar habits.

In my phone call to Laura, my mentor me off sugar mentor, she looked over the questionnaire that all people who do the programme fill in. The questionnaire is lots of food questions so Laura can access weaknesses and what your eating habits are. We both realise I am not an emotional eater but that I tend to use drinks with sugar and caffeine in to boost my energy and get me through the day. I asked her about alcohol as, although I do not drink a lot in my personal life, my work life requires me to review alcohol and go to parties were cocktails flow freely. Laura says the programme is not overtly strict and alcohol is allowed, the sugar is generally burnt off, but to be careful with the affect of alcohol on blood sugar levels. Rose and sweet cocktails are out: dry white wine and red wine are in.

So back to my birthday: small gift cake (yes, really! What has happened to me? I could have had any cake and choose one about the size of my fist and give most of it to my other half), only white booze which is not sweet and two cups of tea. While this is diverting from the programme I am proud of myself. My birthday is usually a decadent blow out.

Birthday aside, now the real work begins. Week two and three are far stricter: no fruit except avocado, tomatoes, lime and lemon, no dark chocolate, no white bread, pasta or couscous. No fruit drinks either. Yikes.

It is scary but I have already decided to take this seriously. I am already slimmer and Laura says I am doing well. I feel like I have been through the worst of the detox and there is new opportunity to open up my culinary horizon. I saw a cake on my friends Facebook page and felt I was missing out, and then I just think about my health. I feel I have been abusing my body with large quantities of caffeine and sugar.

Last week I did better than I thought I would and this week I am determined to do even better. I will be posting some recipes and facts about sugar. I already feel better about my health and the future in general. It sounds like a strange thing to say but we live in a very convenient society. To flex your willpower and say no, even to things you really want, makes you feel powerful. You even think about the next obstacle to climb, the next thing to conquer. This is hard, but that makes it more worthwhile.